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By
Chad Lieberman

Readers of this column
should know that trading is determined by position characteristics,
material in- equalities, and king placement. Perhaps the most
important time to remove pieces from the board is in the opening
when you've fallen behind in development.

When your opponent
has an attacking initiative, it makes sense to trade pieces
to reduce the depth of his arsenal. In the opening of a game,
it is the potential for attack that is the most frightening.

Trading
minor pieces can stunt a lead in development. Because of the way
the major pieces move, it generally requires more time to bring
them to attacking positions. If you find yourself behind in
development in the opening of a game, trade the minors and
get your king to safety.

In this week's featured game, Kremer
misses his chance to stifle Zimmerman's development with 10...Nxc3.
The move 10...f5 allows white to take full control of the game
and even helps his attacking potential. This was certainly
the turning point of the game.